Counterpart to Evil
by Juu
Summary: In an alternate timeline, it took Gero more than one time to get Cell right. There was a mistake made, a creature who can't control one half of himself. *New* The creature breaks free, from his counterparts mind and the lab. Ch4:Some G/M
1. Awake

Counterpart to Evil 

Chapter one 

Awake 

His very first memory was of the sound of water dripping. Before his eyes could even see it seemed to him that he was somewhere warm, somewhere musty, and somewhere wet. The dripping noise was constant, always he heard the steady "drip........drip......drip......." of water falling into water. He heard it, but he didn't know what the sound meant. His still forming brain couldn't yet translate sounds into images or even words. 

One day there was another sound mixing with the familiar sound of the dripping. It was a voice and it was talking to him. The words "kill" and "destroy" and "Goku" still meant nothing to him at first, but as the words were repeated day in and day out they began to stick in his head. *What do these words mean?* was his first conscious thought. His mind was now advanced enough for him to think and wonder and dream. He began to feel. He grew aware that his legs were drawn up to his chest and his arms hugged them tightly. He grew aware that he was floating in.......something. Thicker than water and warm. And, he began to wonder *who am I?* 

"You are Cell," the voice outside said. "You will destroy Son Goku. You will kill Son Goku. You are Cell. Know your name and remember it. You are Cell, and you will be the strongest fighter in all of the universe. And I am your master, your creator. I am Dr. Gero, your GOD!" 

His eyes opened. His newborn vision blurred as dim light penetrated his clear green irises. Shadowy images began to make themselves clearer. A large computer console, several television screens, a surgical cart. The being called "Cell" was fully awake for the first time. 

He blinked, then squinted, working his facial muscles. It was painful; they hadn't been used much before. Then he raised his arms up, stretching the ligaments and moving the joints in his shoulders and elbows. Enjoying the sensation of movement, the "creature" stretched his legs and arched his back. 

It was while he was going through these motions that the "creature" noticed that he was not lying flat, but floating upright in some sort of clear liquid. The voice of Dr. Gero still echoed through the fluid, and the dripping sound he had grown so accustomed to could now be seen as a leaking faucet from a sink in one corner. The creature lowered his arms at last and 

stared curiously at his hands. He moved each of the ten fingers one at a time, feeling the bones move beneath the peach-colored flesh and hardened muscle. Gingerly, he touched the tips of his fingers to the side of his face. He traced the curve of his jaw line and as he moved his hand back up again it bumped into something soft. Hair, and lots of it. He pulled his fingers through the silky strands and examined them. The knee length hair cascaded around him, gold colored and shimmering in the fluid he was suspended in. The "creature" knitted his eyebrows in confusion. 

*What am I?* he thought. 

"You are Cell. You will destroy Son Goku. You will kill Son Goku. You are Cell." The voice still played over and over again. 

*I am......Cell?* the creature thought to himself. *Who is.......Son Goku?* And suddenly he knew. The moment "Cell" searched for an answer to that question, and image pierced his mind. The image of a dark haired man, eyes glaring, in an orange and dark blue type of uniform. The man's eyes were brought back to his side and he was saying something. What was it? "Cell" could just make out the words. 

"Ka......" 

Without thinking, the creature brought his arms back as far as space would allow and his mouth moved in syncopation with the strange man in his head.*Ka......* 

"Me..." 

Now the man's body was beginning to pulse with energy, and "Cell's" did as well. *Me...*   
  


"Ha......."   
  


The energy flow grew stronger; it could be felt streaming through every vein and artery. *Ha....*   
  


"Me...." 

*Me....*   
  


A brief pause as more energy gathered, until the creature called Cell felt he would burst under the strain of his own energy. Then all at once, his arms flung forward in a mimic of the vision he was having. The spiked-haired man in the vision shouted "Ha!" and the creature echoed him.   
  


Energy burst from "Cell's" arms, a brilliant gold light shattering the glass that contained him. The liquid gushed from the tube and out onto the floor, bringing the creature with it. He landed hard upon the floor, sending a shock through his body and momentarily stunning him. The vision was gone. It was gone and it had left behind a craving. "Cell" had tasted enormous power, and he wanted more. But how......   
  


Well, first things were first. He was now free from that tiny prison and in an alien environment. The warmth he had felt while in the growing tube was gone. In its place was a chill, dry feeling and the sensation of air moving all around him. He coughed as his first breath of oxygen slid into his lungs. It was a strange and somewhat unpleasant feeling.   
  


Beneath him the metal floor was also cold. Curious he slid his hands over the smooth surface of the floor. It was slick from the liquid that was pooling around him and dripping from his body. "Strange....." He gasped at the sound of his own voice, then smirked at his childishness. 

"Get up..." he muttered to himself. "Stand up..." Coaching himself along, "Cell" stood, swaying slightly. There was glass all around him, so carefully he tested his walking. It was wobbly at first, but soon he got the hang of it and was parading around the room. Silently, he walked over to the faucet. That damned dripping was driving him nearly insane. He gripped the sides of the sink and pulled slightly. The entire thing ripped off and sent a torrent of water spraying at the surprised creature. He dropped the sink and shrugged. Sure, it was spraying water but at least it wasn't dripping anymore. The thought was so comical that he nearly laughed. But at that precise moment the door to the room banged open.   
  
  
  


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A/N: Alright, I know that some of you are probably quite confused. You're probably asking yourself "Why does she keep putting Cell's name in quotation marks?" "Why did she describe Cell incorrectly?" "Isn't Cell supposed to be green?" "Why does Cell have hair?" "Why does he have green eyes?" "Why is he peach colored?!" 

The answers, my friends, will be explained in the next chapter. Now, before I start getting 50 thousand reviews about how I did this "wrong" I just want to say that this is an Alternate Universe. It can get kind of complex so I'll just say this: The person in this chapter IS NOT the same Cell we all know and love (hate *cough*). Oi.......I'm just going to confuse you more so all I have to say is to read the next chapter and if you're really confused let me know and I'll explain more.   
  


Second A/N: I forgot to mention that I'm going to be discontinuing one of my other fics, "Battle Lost." I'm at a total dead end for that story. I have so many ideas for it, but I never get around to writing the way I want it. I'd really like to pass the story on to somebody else to continue because I'd love to see it finished (just not by me. Friggin' brain 'o mine is not working with me for it.) If anyone is interested in continuing that story please either e-mail me (silent_juuhachigou@yahoo.com) or leave it in a review. Thanks!   
  


Third A/N: Oi......me again. Can anyone draw? I'm thinking about starting a website and would love some fanart to accompany my stories and I can't draw for peanuts. Again, if anyone's interested let me know via e-mail or review.   
  
  
  


Fourth A/N: If you're looking for a great and well constructed story, check out " Redemption" by my friend "tree-hugger." She has a knack for words and emotional scenes. The story also has a very original plot, in my opinion. .......Cripes I think my author's note is longer than my chapter. Oh well. ^_^ 


	2. Flawed

Counterpart to Evil 

Chapter two 

Flawed 

Dr. Gero had always been a work-a-holic. If he wasn't experimenting on something or someone then he was typing up data on his computer about previous experiments. He slept very little and socialized even less. He was a decrepit old man, obsessed with a defeat he'd suffered at the hands of Son Goku years ago. His previous attempts to destroy this man had been unfruitful. The cybernetically enhanced humans he'd created nearly fourteen years earlier had rebelled in every sense of the word. One of them, the male Junanagou, had promptly blasted the old man through the chest and into the opposite side of the mountain his lab was located on as soon as Gero had activated him. Once done with that, Junanagou and his twin sister Juuhachigou had essentially ignored him, figuring he was dead. And Gero would have been had he not performed the same cybernetic enhancements on himself. As it was Junanagou's attack had left Gero badly damaged and while he repaired himself beneath the debry his impact had created the twin's took off. What exactly happened after that was unknown to him, but what he did know was that when he returned to the mess of rubble that was then his lab after several months had passed Son Goku and his friends were still alive.   
  


Angry and enraged, Gero set out to see what had caused his cyborgs to fail. He made sure not to let himself be known; the Z warriors would not have let him live another day if they discovered he was still alive. Instead he slunk around in the guise of an elderly homeless man, visiting various cities and listening to any kind of gossip to see if it would lead to information on what exactly had gone wrong. Gero had no progress until nearly two years later his travels took him to a small tavern in one of the southern cities. It was there he found him: Junanagou. Yes, the male cyborg was still alive and at the moment consuming a large amount of alcohol. He was sulking and looked pissed at the world.   
  


Making sure that his disguise was in place, Gero cautiously made he was to a table beside the pouty Junanagou. Keeping his face hidden and masking his voice, Gero grumbled 

"Rough day for you too, kid?"   
  


Junanagou had smirked bitterly. "Rough day, old man?" He laughed coldly and took another swig of his drink. "My entire life has been one fucking rough day." With that he whipped the empty glass at the wall, where it shattered. Some of the other patrons looked in his direction but no one said anything. It was apparent that Junanagou had made a reputation for himself. Gero maintained his calm persona.   
  


"Girl trouble?" He asked casually.   
  


"No," Junanagou said pointedly. Both were quiet for a moment and it was clear that the cyborg had no more intention of speaking. Gero grew frustrated. How could he get the damned boy to talk?! Gero looked him over. Junanagou was sitting hunched over his fresh drink and looking just the slightest bit woozy. It seemed that he'd maintained more of his human traits than Gero had thought and could still be effected by alcohol. And what was more was that Junana appeared to be trying to get drunk. Gero smirked under his cloak and thought "perfect." 

"My boy, why don't you let me buy you a stronger drink. Something to get your mind off this.....little problem of yours."   
  


"No way old man, I don't need your charity. Leave me alone," Junanagou replied. Ignoring him, Gero signaled for the drink to be brought anyway and when the waitress brought it, Junanagou took it. An hour or so passed and the alcohol began to loosen the dark haired cyborg's tongue.   
  


"She never listened to me!" Junanagou burst out suddenly, slurring his words slightly. "It always has to be her own damn way, without a thought for my fun! She ruined everything! Her and her fucking soft heart and her....morals!" He spat out the word. "Couldn't destroy a damn thing! She let them all go and what am I supposed to do, huh?! I mean, I'm her brother and everything and if she gets pissed at me then who do I fight with?"   
  


*Juuhachigou...she must be the cause of this failure* Gero thought. Junanagou continued to ramble on.   
  


"Bad enough that she had to stop me from killing the basturds but then she went and became attached to one!" He took a swig of his drink and waved the glass around in front of him. "Now she says she's never gonna come back and that she's in 'love' and she's getting 'married.' Damn her......damn him.........its his fault.......It is all HIS FAULT!" And with that Junanagou had blown a large hole in the wall and flown off. Gero left calmly and headed back to his underground lab, pondering this new information. From what he gathered Juuhachigou had convinced her brother to let the Z warriors go free and was now getting married to one of them. Which one, it didn't matter. At least he knew what had gone wrong.   
  


*Poor Junanagou,* Gero thought cruelly. There would be time later to deal with Juuhachigou and Junanagou. If they wanted to join up with Son Goku and the Z warriors then they could die with them too. Because Gero had just the thing to destroy them all. It just needed some time to grow.   
  


Before the twins were completed, Dr. Gero had gathered DNA from them and the other Z warriors. He combined them with an egg he had harvested from Juuhachigou to form an embryo. The whole procedure had taken many years, and then it had to grow. Gero was trying to create a perfect soldier, one bred to obey only him and destroy all he despised. And so for years Gero waited patiently, working in his lab and typing on his computer endlessly.   
  


In the present, as he sat typing away there was a sudden crash coming from the room which housed his creation. Thinking someone was trying to sabotage it, Gero ran to the room and threw open the door. The containment tube was shattered, its liquid all over the ground. The sink had been torn off and there in a growing lake of water admiring his handy work stood Gero's creation.   
  


He appeared like a young boy, around the age of fifteen years old, with a very light colored skin. Long, straight, corn-husk colored hair spilled down his back, allowing his nude body at least a little modesty. His cat shaped emerald green eyes stared back at Gero, and the little smirk on the boy's sharp face faded.   
  


Gero was absolutely...........APPALLED. This.......this thing looked human, not anything like the great being that Gero had planned. Something must have gone wrong during its growing process. Instead of an all powerful enormous monster, here was a human-like weak little child! 

Scowling, Gero used his internal scanners to read the boy's power reading. He nearly wretched when he read the number :15,000. Stronger than an average human, true, but no where near even the weakest of the Z warriors. Gero screamed in anger, causing the boy to jump. Now he would have to start all over!!   
  


*No.......* thought Gero. *Maybe he is just suppressing his energy. Yes, I'm sure that's it. As soon as I tell him to raise it, he will get much stronger, I am positive.* Gero forced himself to calm down and looked back at the boy; he was shying away now, confused about this ugly little man who was screaming for no apparent reason. Gero attempted to smile pleasantly.   
  


"I see you're awake now, Cell. I've been waiting for this day for a very long time," Gero said.   
  


"Cell" narrowed his eyes. He recognized this man's voice as the recording from his tube and he didn't like it. It gave him a bad feeling. He knew exactly what this man wanted of him......he couldn't explain it, but he knew before Gero even spoke what he was going to say.   
  


"My name is Gero." The boy heard it before Gero said it. "I-"   
  


"Created me. I know," the boy said quietly, watching the old man carefully. Gero seemed a bit taken aback and raised his eyebrows slightly. Clearing his throat, Gero took a somewhat hesitant step towards the boy.   
  


"Good. It seems like you've been paying attention to my recording. So you know what your mission is then?" Gero watched the boy anxiously. "Cell" didn't respond. He didn't move. He didn't blink. He just stared right back at Gero. Gero took his silence for confusion.   
  


"Your mission, Cell. The reason you were created." Still, silence. Gero began to get uneasy. The twins had often looked at him like that before they did something wrong. But this creature would be harder to control than the twins. No remote control could shut the quiet child down. If he was going to disobey like the others then Gero would have to destroy him before he gained good control over the abilities, if any, he had. Still, it would be ridiculous to destroy something if it was useful, and if the creature could raise his power than he could still prove useful yet. Gero thought all this quietly, unaware that they boy on the other side of the room knew everything he was thinking.   
  


*....going to disobey like the others, then I must destroy him before he gains good control over his abilities.....if he has any....* The boy flinched as Gero's this echoed in his mind. Part of him grew enraged. How dare this old man presume to control his life!!? The boy wanted more of his power, wanted to feel the energy course through his body. His power rose subconsciously as he prepared to attack and kill that wretched old man.   
  


But.....   
  


Another half of this "Cell" creature said: no. That would accomplish nothing. He had just been born and had no idea what the world outside was like, or how to control his power and mental talents. Perhaps this "Gero" could teach him how to utilize his abilities. All he had to do was pretend to be docile, pretend to obey for a little while. Then, when the time was right......then he could escape.   
  


"My mission...." the boy said suddenly, causing Gero to jump. "....is to.....destroy Son Goku and his friends......"   
  


When the time was right.....   
  


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A/N: Alright, I know this is probably still very confusing. Just please, stay with me!! There's a lot of character building here and it may take a few chapters for everything to become clear. And don't worry, this mystery Cell will have a name. He will not be called "Cell" or the boy or the creature for the entire fic. His name too shall come. Again, any questions feel more than free to ask. This is my baby fic so I'll edit and add and delete as much as it takes for everything to make sense. Thank you!   
  


~Juu   
  
  
  



	3. Fear

Counterpart to Evil 

Chapter Three   
  


Fear   
  


There was something seriously flawed in Cell.   
  


Gero could see it almost from the very first day. Seven months had passed exactly from the day when "Cell" was born. And no matter what Gero tried, no matter what he did, no matter what kind of technique or experiment he used, the flaw remained. Oh, it wasn't a mechanical flaw. No, the creature was strong and quick to learn despite his humanlike appearance. He'd picked up on every single one of the Z warriors fighting skills in what appeared to be mere moments. He was quick, and whenever Gero had him work in the fighting simulator he had built, he always came out without so much as a scratch. True, "Cell" was not perfect in his strength, far from it in fact. He was hardly strong enough to rival one of the weaker human warriors, let alone a Saiyan. The bio-warrior used his wits more often than his brute strength. He concentrated on the psychic moves acquired from Tenshihan and Chout'zu and grew very adept with telekinesis. A little more practice and "Cell's" mental powers would be unbeatable.   
  


And yet......it was in this exact same mind that the gravest of flaws had occurred. The creature...would...not...hurt...anything! Time and time again Gero had tried to get him to kill. The mad doctor brought in frightened civilians off the streets, and told his creation to kill, to maim, to destroy. The boy never said a word. He just focused his eyes silently on the ground. So then Gero would be.... "forced" to demonstrate murder. Still, the boy would say nothing, even when the blood of Gero's victims sprayed onto his face, into his hair. Afterwards, "Cell" would glare with an extreme look of sorrow in his eyes as Gero forced him to clean up all the blood.   
  


After about the fifth or sixth time, the boy finally asked a question. "Why should I kill them? What did they do to me OR to you?"   
  


Gero had remained calm. For his answer, the next day "Cell" was forced to watch film after film of war, rape, murder, child abuse, assassination; anything the human race did that was despicable, evil, or cruel Gero showed to his creature. The films were replayed for three days continuously, until at last the poor boy couldn't take it anymore and squeezed his eyes shut, whimpering "Please stop. I understand now."   
  


Gero had stopped, confident that his little film festival had cured the boy of any hesitations about killing. It hadn't. Now the boy began begging Gero to free the people he brought down to demonstrate with. Gero was disgusted. This abomination was an experiment gone wrong. He had to get rid of it!! He hated the wretched thing! Why, oh why had he let it live in the first place?!   
  


There was only one thing that kept the evil scientist from disposing of the creature (well, aside from the fear of his power.) Sometimes, behind all the sorrow and pain that those green eyes held, Gero could see anger. A deep burning anger, spiraling into hatred. Even if it was directed at himself, Gero knew that that type of emotion could be used if released and harnessed. He just had to bring it out, and teach the creature to use his anger and hatred instead of his softness and compassion.   
  


That's when the torturing started. Every day Gero would do something to torment the gentle being's body and spirit. He began killing children, forcing "Cell" to listen to their screams. He would tell "Cell" how no one cared about him, how he was a monster, evil, gruesome. No one would ever love him or protect him. He was alone. So why not get revenge on them all? Pay them back?   
  


The anger in the boy's eyes grew, yet he seemed to be consciously suppressing it. He never attacked his demented creator; it seemed that if he did it would upset the extreme control it took to keep his hatred in check.   
  


It was night time now. A month of tormenting and still no reaction. Gero was fed up. The next day, he was going to destroy the mistake that had been born.   
  


Little did he know, that that night, everything was about to change.....   
  


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A/N: Okay, I know that was a really short chapter. The next one will be much longer, and guess what? "Cell" gets a name!! Yes, that's right. No more "Cell" in quotation marks. Major events occur in Chapter four. 

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! 


	4. Escape

Counterpart to Evil 

Chapter four   
  


Escape 

"Cell" sat on the dirty floor of the little chamber where he stayed for the night, his fingers blackened by the charcoal he held between them. Concentrating hard, he traced the black object over the ground. Humming slightly to himself, the boy rested his left hand on his blue jeans, dirtying them even more. His bit his lower lip in professional concentration. Some more shading here....a little blending there......there!! It was perfect!   
  


"Cell" smiled happily and gazed at his masterpiece: A self portrait of himself that he'd drawn on the stone floor. It was almost an exact mirror image, right down to the angular curves of his cheeks. If it hadn't been made of charcoal, "Cell" would have thought he WAS looking in a mirror. Not that he was one to brag.....but art was definitely one of his stronger talents. He remembered when he found the large lump of black burning fuel in the garbage. Wanting something to concentrate on besides the horrible screams of the many people Gero had killed, he'd picked it up and taken it back to his chamber. He'd originally thought he could whip it at Gero's head or something, maybe poison him with it. Then he realized that Gero never ate because of his cybernetic enhancements. The idea to draw with the little black stone didn't occur to him for several days, but once he started he couldn't stop.   
  


Taking care not to smudge his new work, "Cell" stood up. He gazed around his chamber. It was small; and the only bed he had was a dirty mattress in one corner. Not that he slept much. The toilet was in another corner, but besides those two items the room was devoid of furniture. Instead, almost every bit of free space was covered in charcoal drawings. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling was graffitied with the boy's artwork. There were sketches of some of the people Gero had killed, only they were smiling, happy, alive. There were many self portraits. "Cell" hadn't seen his reflection since the day he'd been born so he was sketching off his memory. He was determined not to forget what his own face looked like. There were some sketches of landscapes, mountains mostly. There was one of a great dragon that he seemed to recall from one of his "inherited" memories. It curled around one corner of the room, where the wall met the ceiling, glaring with its powerful eyes, twisting its great arms around spider webs and moss. That one had taken a long time to do.   
  


Almost one entire wall was decorated with portraits of those that he felt he knew, but had never met. The dark haired man from the first vision he'd ever had, performing the Kamehameha forever in dark soot. There was a young boy with wide eyes flexing beneath the Kamehameha user. A strange looking alien with his arms crossed and his pointed ears perking up stood to the right of them. "Cell" wrote names by all of them. "Son Goku" next to the Kamehameha man. "Son Gohan" next to the happy boy. "Piccolo" next to the stern alien. There were more: "Krillin" next to a shorter man with a confused look on his round face. "Tenshinhan" next to a heavily built man with three eyes instead of the usual two. "Yamcha" beside a young man with some rather nasty looking scars over his eye and cheek. "Juunanagou" next to a pouty teenage boy with cat eyes similar to the creature's own. But there was one without a name, only a title. A quiet looking girl who's eyes peered out of her portrait as if she could really see. He shoulder length hair appeared to be waving in a breeze. And under her picture was the word : "Mother."   
  


"Cell" wasn't entirely sure what a mother was, but he thought this woman fit his definition of it. He didn't know who she was, or even if she was a real person. But even if she was just a figment of his imagination, it was still nice to imagine that she was his parent, the "mama" for him. All the other kids had cried for their mama's when Gero brought them. Shouldn't "Cell" have one too? It seemed only right.   
  


Happy with his work for the night, "Cell" scanned the wall with all the fighters on it. He half expected them to come to life right in front of his eyes. Sighing, he began to trudge over to his mattress. Then, he heard it.   
  


The sound of snickering.   
  


"Cell" squeezed his eyes shut. He'd heard the laughing before. It wasn't coming from outside in the hallway or inside the room. It was coming from inside HIM.   
  


"Its me, sissy," the voice taunted. "Cell" tried to ignore it. "Can't get rid of me, moron. I'm here to stay. And I'm going to get out.......quite soon, in fact."   
  


Now, the boy brought his hands up to his ears and covered them, shaking his head briskly. "No you won't! Go away! Go away!!!"   
  


"Not tonight, little boy. I'm going to get you." The voice laughed, a kind of hissing chuckle that burned "Cell's" heart just listening to it. He didn't understand. Telling the voice to go away and suppressing the hatred welling up inside him had always worked before. The voice had always faded. Why wasn't it disappearing now......could it be.....telling the truth? Was it going to over power him?   
  


.....   
  


No!! He wouldn't let it!! "You're not going to win," the boy said stubbornly. "I've beaten you before and I can do it again."   
  


The voice laughed again. "You idiot. I AM you. You can't beat yourself. Can you, little boy? I'm what you're supposed to be."   
  


"No!!"   
  


"You've been slacking, haven't you, little boy?" The voice put on a pseudo sympathetic tone. "Won't kill anything will you? Tsk, tsk. You're missing out. It would be soooo much fun. Can't you picture it? The flesh tearing, the bones snapping, the warm blood oozing all over your hands? The pain you could cause!" The voice moaned happily. "Cell" dug his nails into his scalp, drawing a little blood. 

"No! You're wrong!! You can't......I won't let-"   
  


"Oh, but you know I'm right," the voice said smugly. "Don't you desire to feel that kind of power, little boy? To feel someone die beneath your hands? Don't tell me you don't long for power to course through you. I'm with you wherever you go, whatever you do. I know how it thrills you to build up your energy and let it radiate around you. Feeling its strength. You love it, don't you little boy?"   
  


For the slightest second, "Cell" hesitated. He DID enjoy his power. His life energy fascinated him. He had a craving for ki, you could say. But.....that didn't mean he wanted to......to kill for it.......did it?   
  


"You could have people terrified of you. You could have them all at your mercy. All you have to do is give in to me....obey....me......You know you want that power. Give in. Take it."   
  


Give in? Should he? No.....no......he couldn't destroy......he couldn't have blood on his hands like Gero. Not even for the power he lusted for. Never. He......he refused......   
  


But it was too late. That moments hesitation, that split second where "Cell's" guard came down gave his dark side the time it needed to invade his mind completely and take over his body. "Cell's" beautiful emerald eyes darkened, and became a dirt colored brown. Somewhere, deep in the subconscious of the shared mind, the artistic boy's despairing cry could be heard. But only by this evil embodiment. Now he was in control.   
  


He smirked and flexed his hand into a fist. "I am......Byoki." Byoki. He almost laughed 

at his own ingenuity. What an appropriate name. Sickness. In a way, that's what he was. A disease leeching off of "Cell's" body, using it to get what he wanted. Now he was free. And there was going to be hell to pay. Byoki smirked, turned on his heel and stalked out the door, crushing the charcoal beneath his shoes as he went. First thing was first......   
  


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Gero sat in a chair with his arms crossed, staring at a computer screen. He was busy concocting a plan on exactly how he was going to terminate his failed experiment. So far, he could come up with no ways to do it that were fool proof. Damn.......couldn't ANYTHING be easy?   
  


His thoughts were interrupted as a slight shuffling sound drew his attention towards the door. Speak of the devil, the damned thing was standing right there! Gero tried not to growl and roll his eyes and slowly raised from his chair.   
  


"What is it Cell?" He asked testily, not noticing the change in the creature's eyes. Byoki smirked confidently.   
  


"Why, I wanted to thank you old man." Then his eyes narrowed as his phsycic abilities came into action. With little more than a twitch of his eyes, Byoki tore the old man to pieces within 

seconds, then blew up whatever scraps remained. Byoki laughed at the smoking pile of ash hysterically.   
  


"Oh man, that was fantastic!!! I can't believe this!! Oh, I love it!!" He was nearly hyperventilating with joy. He was ecstatic. His first kill. The only hang up he had was that there wasn't nearly enough blood. Oh well, he could rectify that. All he needed was a city. He had to be quick though. *That little goody goody is starting to get stronger in there.* Byoki thought to himself.   
  


"Getting restless in there, little boy?!!" He shouted outloud. His counterpart's enraged cry echoed back at him. Byoki chuckled. *I'd get used to it if I were you. Now......a city......* With that, he ran down the corridor and out the door into the cool night air.   
  


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Elsewhere......   
  


Marron shot up in bed. Someone was rapping on her window. And she had a feeling of who it was. Sighing, with both tiredness and exasperation, she swung her legs out from under the security of her blankets and dragged herself over to the window. Yawning, she pulled back the curtains. Yep. Just as she had expected. Goten was crouching out there, his hand poised to knock again. A surprised look was on his face. It quickly changed to a smile.   
  


"Oi! Hi, Marron-chan!!" He called, his voice somewhat muffled by the glass. Marron shot him a look and mouthed "Shhhh," before sliding her window up and sticking her head out.   
  


"Goten, how many times do I have to tell you you can't come here at night?!! What if Papa or Mom catches you? You'd be dead!!" She scolded. Goten laughed and waved his hand at her.   
  


"Oh come on. No one can catch the all stealth Goten!! Besides, its not like we're doing anything. I mean, unless of course you let me in."   
  


Marron shook her head, but couldn't keep from smiling. He was just too cute. "Sorry little man, but there's no way. Not tonight."   
  


"Little man!" Goten crossed his arms and tried to sulk. "Hey, I'm not little. Just look at this muscle!" He flexed his arm, causing his biceps to become defined. He grinned proudly. "How 'bout that, Marron-chan? Pretty good, huh?"   
  


Marron clicked her tongue. "Very nice, Goten. Now only muscle we have to work on is the one inside your head."   
  


"That's what I thought!! That's me, mister buff! Why, I bet......hey, wait a sec...." He scratched his head. Marron laughed and leaned out farther, kissing Goten on the cheek. He immediately froze.   
  


"You.....kissed me......." He sighed, then fell backwards onto the sand. Marron laughed, but just then her father's voice distracted her. He was calling her.   
  


"Aw crap! Bad timing, daddy....." Marron muttered to herself. She glared down at Goten. "Keep quiet, okay? Papa's coming!" she hissed. Goten was too high off Marron's kiss on the cheek to hear her. He just continued staring up at the stars and muttering gibberish. Sighing, Marron ducked back inside, shut the window, and pulled closed the drapes. She had just enough time to leap back into bed before her door was open and Krillin came in.   
  


"Hey ladybug, you okay in here?" He asked, still rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Your mom said she heard voices but I don't know...."   
  


Marron sat up, faking that she'd just woken up. "Huh? What Papa? I was sleeping....maybe it was Roshi watching t.v."   
  


Krillin shook his head. "Nope, he's gone for the weekend, remember? Are you absolutely sure that no one was in here?"   
  


Marron fiddled with her comforter nervously. She silently prayed that her dad wouldn't sense Goten's power level, or they'd both be in trouble. "No......maybe I was talking in my sleep."   
  


Krillin studied his teenage daughter for a moment longer before decided she was telling the truth. He was tired anyway.   
  


"Alright, Marron-chan. I'm going back to bed then. Sweet dreams." 

"Night, daddy."   
  


Krillin opened the door and started out. Right at that moment, Goten's voice drifted in, singing: "I-got-kissed-by-Marron-chan......do-do-do-do-do" Krillin and Marron both froze. Krillin slowly turned around.   
  


"Marron, what was that?"   
  


"Um......me! I was just singing a song I made up! Do-do-do-do-do....." She glanced at her father. He was standing with his arms crossed, not buying it.   
  


"Really," he said sarcastically. "About you kissing yourself?"   
  


"Er....."   
  


Krillin sighed. "I'm just going to go peek outside this window."   
  


"Okay," Marron squeaked. Krillin crossed to the window, opened it, and looked around outside. Marron waited for him to catch Goten and then lecture them about it until the sun came up. So she was surprised when Krillin hummed to himself and closed the window.   
  


"Guess you were telling the truth, ladybug. You're one stranger girl." He yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "Night ladybug. No more singing at night, okay?"   
  


"......um.....Okay, Papa." Marron watched as he left and as soon as she heard his bedroom door shut, ran to the window and looked outside.   
  


"Goten?!! Where'd you go?!" She whispered/shouted. He was no where to be seen. Marron bit her lip. Maybe he'd flown away, and gone home. She really hoped he hadn't, she wanted to tell him something. She was just about to give up and go back to bed when a splash out in the ocean stopped her. The momentarily still water bubbled for a second and then Goten's head popped up. He gasped for air and shook water from his hair. Marron smiled as he trudged back up the shore to her window.   
  


"Ick.....I hope you know how much this disturbs me. I think I have sea weed in places I can't even think about," Goten moped, wringing out his shirt. Marron laughed.   
  


"The wet look suits you. Why'd you come out here tonight anyway?"   
  


Goten ceased his mumbling and looked back at his friend.   
  


"Trunks wants to show us something. Something he made himself or something. He's waiting for us at the 'meeting place'. I volunteered to come pick you up and bring you there. Mostly cause I just wanted to carry you." Marron smacked him in the head playfully.   
  


"Very charming. What is it he wants to show us?" She asked. Goten shrugged.   
  


"I dunno. He wouldn't even tell me. If this is like the last time he wanted to 'show me something' I'll-"   
  


Marron laughed. "Oh, come on. Your hair grew back."   
  


"In a weird way!" Goten whined, running his hand through his unruly black hair. It DID stick out at an odd angle. Well, Marron thought it looked cute on him.   
  


"Well, anyway, are you in? Please say yes, please, please, please, please, please!" Goten begged. Marron sighed, but smiled.   
  


"Alright, fine. But let me change first. I'm not going in my pajamas."   
  


"Can I watch?" Goten teased. In response, Marron rolled her eyes and shut the window. A minute later, she emerged in blue jeans and a pink top. She climbed out the window, and Goten opened his arms out to her. She studied him for a minute.   
  


"You're soaking wet," She stated. Goten shrugged. Marron sighed. "Oh well." She climbed into his arms and off they went. Krillin glared after them from the window of his bedroom. He growled to himself and muttered, "If I ever see that boy again, I'll-"   
  


His wife's voice interrupted him. Juuhachigou was laying in bed, hiding her face in the pillow. Presently, she groaned and looked at her darling husband.   
  


"Krillin-kun, let her go. We can't baby her forever."   
  


"But Juu-chan!" Krillin protested. "She just snuck out of the house......with a BOY! Who knows what they'll do! What if they do something.....we can't just let her go!! The next thing you know, she'll be pregnant or worse!! I'm too young to be a grandfather, Juu-chan!!" He pulled at his hair anxiously. Juuhachigou sighed and smirked.   
  


"Stop fretting. Marron's not a child. She's a smart young woman; she won't get into trouble. Give her more credit."   
  


"But, Juu-chan-"   
  


"No buts." Juuhachigou said sternly. "Goten would never try anything funny. He's your best friend's son. Or have you forgotten that?"   
  


"No....but she's my baby girl!!" He whined. Juuhachigou patted the space on the bed beside her.   
  


"She's growing up Krillin-kun. She loves that boy."   
  


"Loves?!" Krillin said flabbergasted. Juuhachi nodded. "But she never said anything to me!"   
  


"There's some things a girl just can't tell her father. Not even if they're as sweet as you," Juuhachi said, smirking playfully. Krillin crossed his arms, still pondering this new news he'd just received. Juuhachigou got up and walked over to her husband. She ran her hands over his toned shoulders and whispered: "Come back to bed. We'll deal with it in the morning."   
  


Krillin sighed in surrender. "Alright, Juu-chan." 

********************************************************************************   
  


The meeting place was the lake near Goten's house in the mountains. It was beautiful there, especially at night, and Trunks, Marron, and Goten had been meeting there since Marron was ten years old. She couldn't fly like the other two, so one of them always had to go get her. Marron hated being a burden, but her parents refused to teach her how to fly on her own. Krillin insisted it was too dangerous and she wouldn't need to know it anyway. Marron loved her father, but honestly he was so overprotective it drove her crazy.   
  


That night, Goten was flying faster than usual, trying to get dried off in the wind. Marron shivered against him; he'd gotten her wet too and the night air was cold, especially when flying. Goten looked down and noticed her shaking.   
  


"What's wrong, Marron-chan?" He asked, his face slightly concerned.   
  


"I'm freezing," Marron replied. "I should have brought a sweater or something. You getting me soaking we doesn't help either."   
  


"Oops. Sorry. I got an idea. Hold on, I'll go into overdrive!" Before Marron could reply, Goten had powered up and jetted off. The blonde girl clung to the young Son's shirt to keep from falling off. She soon relaxed as his ki radiated around both of them, warming them and drying them off. At that speed, they reached the meeting place quickly. Trunks was waiting for them, his lavender hair blowing gently in the wind. He had his back to them, so they saw him before he saw them.   
  


"There's Trunks," said Goten, stating the obvious. Marron nodded silently. She'd hoped the trip would have taken longer, so that she could gather up the courage to tell Goten how she......but it was too late now. She'd have to wait for another time.   
  


"Oi!! Trunks!!" Goten called, waving with one hand and almost dropping his passenger. Trunks jumped a bit and turned around. Seeing his friends, he smiled and waved. Goten landed and set Marron down.   
  


"All here!" Goten said cheerfully. Trunks nodded.   
  


"Took long enough."   
  


"Well, Goten had to go for a swim," Marron retorted.   
  


Trunks raised an eyebrow. "I won't even ask. Look, I'd love to make small talk for a while, but I really want to show you guys this. It took me forever to make, but for some reason I just had this huge need to make it. It looks awesome. Wait here." With that he ran off, disappearing into the trees. A minute later he was back, brandishing something in a scabbard.   
  


"Look at this!" The son of Vegeta said, pulling out a glimmering sword of shining steel and silver handle. It wasn't very fancy, but it looked sturdy and sharp. Goten's mouth dropped open.   
  


"You MADE that? How, by putting together the blade and the handle with superglue?"   
  


Trunks glared at him. "No, I used some of mom's equipment to melt the metal and help me shape it for the blade. Then I formed the handle with the help of some of mom's engineers. Then I welded it together. It was actually pretty simple."   
  


Goten crossed his arms and scowled. "Yeah, well I could make a sword like that if I had 20 million dollars for an allowance and an army of machinery and technical help." 

Trunks ignored him. "So what do you think, Marron?" She touched the blade cautiously.   
  


"Its amazing......" She thought for a moment. "What are you going to use it for?" Trunks and Goten looked at her as if she'd just asked why they ate so much.   
  


"Duh, fighting. What else do you use a sword for?" Trunks asked. Marron grew defensive.   
  


"Well I don't know! What the heck to you need a weapon for when you can fly around and shoot blasts and such? It doesn't make sense. When are you going to use it?"   
  


"In.....battles......" Trunks said slowly and defined, like he was speaking to a young child. Marron smirked.   
  


"I can see it now," she said. "Blasts flying everywhere and there's you swinging that toothpick around like a stick. I guess if anything is stupid enough to walk into it then you're all set."   
  


Now the purple haired boy looked irritated. "Hey, at least I-"   
  


All of a sudden a huge explosion lit up the air in the distance. The light from it flickered a few times, then faded, leaving behind a trail of smoke. Goten, Trunks, and Marron all looked over in its direction.   
  


"What was that?!!" Goten shouted.   
  


"I don't know.....it looked pretty bad......maybe a factory exploded or something....." Trunks replied uncertainly.   
  


"Maybe we should go see if anyone's hurt," suggested Marron. The boys were quiet for a moment before nodding in agreement.   
  


"Yeah..."muttered Trunks. "But.....maybe you should stay here, Marron."   
  


"Why?!" Marron exclaimed. Trunks kept his gaze focused on the smoke trail and said "It might be dangerous."   
  


"But-"   
  


"Marron!" Goten interrupted. "You think you could run over to my house and get my dad? We might need his help."   
  


Marron fumed silently for a few more moments, studying her friends' faces. They seemed serious, even Goten, and Marron got the feeling that there was more going on than what they were telling her. Again she felt angry at her parents. If only she could fly or sense power levels or something! Then she wouldn't feel so......pathetic. Still, she realized if there WAS something more going on than just a factory explosion, she would need to stay out of the way. So, she muttered "Fine," and began walking up the path through the woods to Goten's house. Trunks and Goten glanced at each other when she was gone.   
  


"You don't think that was really just any old explosion, do you Trunks?" Goten asked, looking down the path Marron had gone. Trunks shook his head.   
  


"Nope. It was too clean. Only ki makes that kind of explosion. Which means something's up. We'd better go check it out." Trunks mind seemed made up. He replaced his new sword in the scabbard and slung it over his back proudly. Goten just looked at him and shrugged.   
  


"Right...."Goten trailed off as Trunks blasted off into the sky. Muttering to himself, Goten followed. 

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"Look at them run!! Look at them run!! Look at them run!!!" Byoki laughed hysterically as he fired off another round of shots. Normally, he didn't like using energy blasts but at the moment he found it fun to watch things explode and people dive for cover. After one particulary large explosion, though, he began to feel a bit light headed. His good counterpart was fighting back for control.   
  


"Ah ah ah," Byoki sang to himself. "I'm not done yet!" He started laughing, but the other half of him strained viciously and Byoki came extremely close to losing control. He began sweating, and swayed on his feet.   
  


"Shit..." he cursed. "There's only a little time left......what to do with it..." His gaze shifted to a frightened group of onlookers who had stupidly stopped to wonder why this evil boy was talking to himself. Byoki's drawn face transformed into a delighted one, and he smirked happily.   
  


"Few more for the road!" He sang, raising his hands out in front of him and spreading his fingers. The group of people were too frightened to move. "Ready?" Byoki asked them. Finally, one of the girls began screaming at the top of her lungs. Byoki scowled.   
  


"Shut up!" He shouted. He glanced over to a telephone pole which was leaning and sparking from his previous assault. It would be perfect. Using his psychic ability, he lifted up the pole and charged it at the scattering group of people. He had just enough time to see the blood splatter before his counterpart ceased control and shoved him back into the depths of the mind they shared.   
  


Now, "Cell" was back in control, but the take over had taken up too much of his energy. Before he could register anything that had happened or where he was, he passed out onto the dirty street. Everything was relatively quiet for a moment. Then, some of the witnesses to Byoki's onslaught took advantage the boy's unconscious state. Unaware that he was evil no longer, they attacked him. A mob was on him in minutes, kicking and punching, trying to get revenge for the loved ones they had lost. And right then Goten and Trunks landed in the city, a few feet away from the angry mob... 

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A/N: See, I told you this one would be longer. Yes, our "Cell" has dual personalities. I only got around to naming the evil one in this chapter, but the next chapter will have the naming of the good side. So, which side do you guys like better so far? Byoki's a psychotic little thing, isn't he? I think we can classify him criminally insane. On the flip side though, the good side's a sweetie, but some of my friends told me he seems like a sissy in this chapter. Oh well. I guess its up to the reader to decide who they like better because both of them are here to stay.   
  


So what happens to our schizophrenic bio-warrior? I guess only Goten and Trunks can decide that for now. I think chapter five will be another long chapter. Oh, thanks to those of you who reviewed so far! And I'm rambling......yes....... 


End file.
